Jasprit Bumrah to Bolster India's Bowling Strike Force in Pivotal Lord's Test versus England

The Indian cricket team is ready to take on England in the third game of the five-Test series starting July 10 at the famous Lord's Cricket Ground in London. With the series evenly poised at one-one and India riding the wave of a record-breaking victory in Birmingham by an almighty 336 runs the hype for this match is at its peak. That game was India's largest-ever foreign win in terms of runs and their inaugural Test victory at Edgbaston. As the two teams prepare for the next game all attention will be on Jasprit Bumrah who will more than likely return to the playing eleven in place of Prasidh Krishna.

Bumrah sat out the second Test but he will return fresh and raring to go and take charge of the pace attack. His replacement Prasidh Krishna also had a difficult time in both games. While he took five wickets in the first Test he was extremely costly conceding runs at a high economy. In the second Test he took just one wicket and again could not control the game. With Bumrah returning to the team, the bowling department should get sharper and more consistent with extra help from Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep who were in top form in the previous match.

India will probably stick to the same batting line-up which took them to the second Test dominance. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and veteran KL Rahul have both been looking good at the top with each of them scoring a century and a fifty in the series till now. Karun Nair though not scoring big might get another opportunity at number three. Team captain Shubman Gill has been in wonderful form scoring 585 runs from four innings in a span of two Tests. His tally reads 146.25 and he has scored three centuries so far including a memorable 269 off 387 balls at Edgbaston.

Rishabh Pant has been another big performer for India with centuries in both innings of the first Test. He too is likely to stay put at number five and also will be keeping wickets. Ravindra Jadeja offers all-round depth to the team and his middle-order experience will be useful. Washington Sundar can be preferred once more at seven because he can make a contribution with both bat and ball. He had a game-changing knock of 42 runs in the first innings of the second Test and his off-spin can prove useful in English conditions. Nitish Reddy although yet to leave a major impact might find a spot at number eight to provide depth in batting.

India's likely bowling attack for the Lord's Test appears very formidable with Bumrah joining Siraj and Akash Deep in the pace unit. Akash and Siraj played a key role in dismantling England's batting line-up in the last game and their teaming up with Bumrah might prove even more deadly. The presence of Bumrah not only means adding depth in terms of speed and accuracy but also pressure experience. His yorker bowling and ability to bowl tight spells can prove to be instrumental particularly at Lord's where the conditions tend to suit fast bowlers.

England, on the other hand, will be hoping to recover from their big defeat. They had taken the opening Test at Headingley in pursuit of a tough 371 with good skill and patience. Josh Tongue has been their best bowler until now in the series with 11 wickets in four innings at an average of just over 33. The home team is famous for its determination and playing at Lord's they will do their best to take the initiative in this closely-fought Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.

India on the other hand is in a better position to go into this game. The team has only lost one Test at Lord's on their previous three tours and will look to carry forward their winning run. The team's morale is likely to be boosted by the return of Bumrah, and the bowling attack will be more aggressive. The power hitters at the top experience in the middle, and depth in both departments result in a well-balanced and lethal side for India.

Shubman Gill's captaincy will once again be put to the test as he attempts to lead India to another victory. His captaincy has been serene and his batting performance is testament to his confidence. If India keeps playing with the same zest and discipline that they played with in Birmingham then they have a very good chance of winning at Lord's and leading the series.

The probable eleven that India would play for the third Test would be Yashasvi Jaiswal KL Rahul Karun Nair Shubman Gill as captain Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper Ravindra Jadeja Nitish Reddy Washington Sundar Jasprit Bumrah Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj. With such a good line-up and recent achievements under their belt India will be keen to overwhelm once again and move closer to securing the series.

This game will be an exciting battle with high rewards for both teams. The confidence momentum of India's return to Lord's and a well-set team could prove to be the difference-maker. With Bumrah taking the center stage and Gill in excellent nick the Indian team seems set to write another chapter of history in their Test adventure against England.